I came to writing later in life, finally allowing myself to unleash a love of storytelling and a lifetime of struggling to understand the complex race relations in Mississippi. My stories tackle issues most Southerners can identify with, and, like me, have struggled to understand. My debut novel, Catfish Alley, will be released by NAL/Penguin in spring 2011. Contemporary stories defined by the context of Southern history continue to intrigue me as I work on my second novel. Writing is my way to wrestle with what I can’t explain and I am compelled to do that through the voices and stories of the American South.

Dr. Prosser returned to Tougaloo in 1932 to work on her dissertation. Her area of study was social and family/teacher relationship variables affecting black children and how those variables differed between black children in segregated versus desegregated schools. Dr. Prosser was a pioneer, not only as a black woman with a doctoral degree, but in studying the effects of segregated education on black children.

Below is an excerpt from Catfish Alley that demonstrates how I envisioned the young Grace might have felt when she first met Dr. Inez Prosser:

Grace, September 1931

I resist the instinct now to go around to the back door of this grand old house. I set my jaw and march up the wide front steps. I’m busy admiring the arched window over the door when the door opens and I find myself face-to-face with a colored woman different from anyone I’ve ever seen before. She’s dressed in a dark well-fitted suit. I know that her shoes and clothes are the latest fashion because Adelle and I have seen clothes like this in the Good Housekeeping magazines that Mrs. Calhoun lets us have when she’s finished. Her shoes are good leather, polished and shining, with pointed toes and a smart little heel. Her hair is combed in a straight bob with short bangs and she’s wearing red lipstick. I notice that her skin is lighter than mine and very smooth. Her smile is immediate, showing white teeth. She looks so young that I assume she’s one of the students.

“Why, hello there,” she says. “May I help you?”

I’m suddenly very self-conscious of my dusty, old-fashioned dress and worn shoes. I decide that I’d better make up for what I lack in appearance by showing some spunk. I set my suitcase down and extend my hand.

“Hello,” I say in my bravest voice. “I’m Grace Clark. I would like to be a student here.”

The beautiful woman smiles again and a slight look of surprise crosses her face. She motions toward two wicker chairs on the shady porch. “You look hot and tired, Miss Clark. Please, have a seat. It’s cooler out here on the porch right now than it is inside.” She calls back over her shoulder through the still open door, “Marjory, could you please bring my guest a glass of iced tea?”

I move to the chair and stand in front of it, waiting for the woman to join me. I marvel at a colored woman asking someone to bring something to her. Other than my experience fetching and carrying for Mama or Grandma, I’ve never seen a colored woman have someone wait on her. The woman joins me and sits down.

“Please, sit down, dear. You look exhausted. Forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself. I am Dr. Inez Prosser. I am a member of the faculty, in charge of teacher education.”

I’m so overwhelmed I can’t speak. This young woman is the very person I need to see and I’ve had the good fortune to meet her even before I got through the doors of the college! I feel Mama and Grandma watching over me like angels. I do think it’s strange that Tougaloo College would put a doctor in charge of teachers. I didn’t even know women could be doctors. This is all so exciting and very confusing.

Sadly, Dr. Prosser was killed in an automobile accident in 1934. She was only 39 years old.  Her life ended too soon before she had an opportunity to make even more contributions to the education of black children. I was honored to include her as part of Grace’s story in Catfish Alley.

Dr. Inez Prosser

My questions are about the experiences, both black and white, of the world in which I grew up; a world I took for granted, that remained unexamined for much of my life. One of my questions led me to want to step into the experience of blacks who sought an education during times in our history when obstacles confronted them at every turn. The search for answers led me to Tougaloo College.

Grace Clark, one of the main characters in Catfish Alley, dreamed her whole life of going to college to earn a teaching degree. In 1931, subsequent to a shocking revelation from Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun who owned the property her small house was situated on, Grace’s dream came true and she found herself getting off the back of a wagon on a dusty road that led to Tougaloo College. Here’s an excerpt from the novel:

I chose Tougaloo College for my story because Tougaloo’s history is synonymous with the history of blacks in Mississippi. Here is what the Tougaloo College website says about the College and its history:

“Tougaloo College is a private, coeducational, historically black four-year liberal arts, church related, but not church controlled institution. It sits on 500 acres of land located on West County Line Road on the northern edge of Jackson, Mississippi. In Good Biblical Style1, one might say that the Amistad, the famous court case which freed Africans who were accused of mutiny after they killed a part of the captor crew of the slave ship Amistad and took over the vessel, begat the American Missionary Association, and the American Missionary Association begat Tougaloo College and her five sister institutions.”

Amistad, the movie, chronicles the history of the mutiny and court case.

The Tougaloo website goes on to say

“In 1869, the American Missionary Association of New York purchased five hundred acres of land from John Boddie, owner of the Boddie Plantation to establish a school for the training of young people ‘irrespective of religious tenets and conducted on the most liberal principles for the benefit of our citizens in general.’  The Mississippi State Legislature granted the institution a charter under the name of ‘ Tougaloo University’ in 1871. The Normal Department was recognized as a teacher training school until 1892, at which time the College ceased to receive aid from the state. Courses for college credit were first offered in 1897, and in 1901, the first Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded to Traverse S. Crawford. In 1916, the name of the institution was changed to Tougaloo College.”

The mansion as it appeared originally is pictured below.

Early photo of the Tougaloo Mansion

The mansion in c. 1900.

The Boddie mansion circa 1900

The entrance gate to Tougaloo College as Grace might have seen it.

As stated so eloquently by Ernest Limbo, Professor of History at Tougaloo College:

“Throughout the South, and perhaps throughout America, white people, institutions, and society were considered superior to their black counterparts. Tougaloo College exists because African Americans refused to believe that black was inferior to white, and it continues to remind generations of students that white supremacy was a myth perpetuated by a people desperate to retain power. Tougaloo’s existence dispels the romantic notion some have of the South’s history.”

My writing is about opening a window into the Southern culture from the perspective of just one Southern storyteller. I don’t have any romantic notions about the South’s history, and definitely none about white supremacy. I follow the questions sparked by my experiences and those of others. And sometimes, if I’m lucky, there’s a story at the end of the path.

My first morning at Mama’s I was up early before the sun drinking in the scents of the Southern spring along with my coffee. I think it must be the dirt coming to life as it warms up, the moisture in the air, and the sweetness of wisteria. All of it combined says “home” to me.    

A misty Mississippi morning from Mama's porch

Dogwoods at sunrise

On Tuesday, April 5th – publication day – my sister and I hit the road for Jackson. First stop: Lemuria Book Store where the kind staff helped me have a great first book signing experience. John Evans, who opened Lemuria 36 years ago, even listened to my reading and gave me valuable advice on how sharing my book with booksellers helps them know how to describe the story to prospective readers. I listened closely to every word!    

Signing at Lemuria

On to Oxford, where we walked through the beautiful little town that was home to William Faulkner.    

Azaleas downtown Oxford

I had a great time getting to know Lyn Roberts, the manager of Square Books. Lyn came to Oxford for law school at Ole Miss, and her part-time job at Square Books turned into a 20-plus year career in bookselling – yet another wise person for me to learn from!    

With Square Books Manager Lyn Roberts

 Before leaving Oxford the next morning, we indulged in the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time at a highly recommended place called Big Bad Breakfast.  And believe me it was! I even bought the t-shirt (“Lard Have Mercy!”).    

Big Bad Breakfast, Oxford, MS

Chef John Currence, who also owns restaurants City Grocery and Boure in Oxford, is originally from New Orleans and has an amazing menu of locally ground grits (best I’ve ever had – really), homemade preserves, on-site cured tabasco/brownsugar bacon, fresh tomato gravy, and biscuits that melt in your mouth! No wonder Currence is a top competitor right now on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters (http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/season-3/bio/john-currence), and a winner of the James Beard award.    

The food was incredible and my sister, who doesn’t usually rave, did. She said the strawberry preserves were the best she’s had since Florida, and that’s saying a lot since when she was a child in Florida, my parents were truck farmers (strawberries among other things) and you can imagine how good our Mama’s strawberry preserves were!    

But back to the tour–I’m easily distracted by food.    

Third stop: Hattiesburg, Ms, at Main Street Books where, thanks to my dear sister’s gracious friends and owners Diane and Jerry Shepherd’s excellent hosting, I had a wonderful time. Diane, like John, helped me with great advice and pointers for making the most out of every book signing/reading experience.    

With Diane Shepherd, owner Main Street Books, Hattiesburg, MS

In Natchez, it felt like spring turned to summer. As I gazed out over the Mississippi River toward Louisiana, the temperature was hitting the 90s and my hair was getting bigger in proportion to the humidity’s climb.    

Looking out over the Mississippi River from the Natchez Bluff

We had the opportunity to spend some time walking the streets of Natchez and viewing some of her beautiful homes before the book signing.    

The iconic Stanton Hall in Natchez, MS

I enjoyed spending time with Mary Emrick, owner of Turning Pages Book Store, and members of the book store staff, Becky and Donna. As usual, Southern hospitality abounds at Turning Pages!    

With Mary Emrick (r) and Becky Spears (l) Turning Pages Bookstore, Natchez, MS

My final stop was a book signing in my hometown of Columbus. What a terrific experience that was thanks to Nancy Carpenter, Director of the Columbus Pilgrimage Tour.   

With Nancy Carpenter, Director of the Columbus, MS Spring Pilgrimage

 I was so excited to share Catfish Alley with my family and friends. My third grade teacher, Mrs. McKay, who is 94 years old, was the first to arrive – what an honor! Being in Columbus in the first of home of Tennessee Williams for a book signing was a lovely conclusion to my first book tour. I’m so appreciative of everyone who made the events and the experience a success!  

With my third grade teacher, Mrs. McKay - age 94!

Here is a list of my Mississippi events:

First stop: Lemuria Books in Jackson on April 5th at 5:00 pm

Second stop: Square Books in Oxford on April 6th at 5:00 pm

Third stop: Main Street Books in Hattiesburg on April 7th at 5:30 pm

Fourth stop: Turning Pages Books in Natchez on April 8th at 4:00 pm

Final stop: The Tennessee Williams Welcome Center in Columbus on April 9th at 10:00 am

I can’t wait to experience spring in Mississippi and finally get to share Catfish Alley. Please join me for a book signing!

Lynne

Thomas Williams with his Mother, Edwina, and sister, Rose.

Tennessee lived in Columbus until he was seven years old, at which time his father, who was a traveling salesman, moved the family to St. Louis. During his years in Columbus, the Williams family lived in the rectory next to the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where Williams’ maternal grandfather, Reverend Walter Dakin, was the minister.      

Tennessee Williams Welcome Center, Columbus, MS

It was not until his college years that Thomas Williams acquired the nickname, Tennessee, due to his Southern drawl. Prior to that, he was Tom, the second of three children, with an older sister and younger brother. Tom Williams has been described as a sickly child who struggled with frequent respiratory problems. Although Tennessee Williams described his childhood as happy, his older sister Rose was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of eighteen, his mother was characterized as an unhappy Southern belle, and his father was a hard-drinking and abusive man. The dynamics of his family are said to have inspired much of his work. One of his best known plays, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, was set in the Mississippi Delta. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1955, and was made into a movie in 1958. The movie featured two stars we’ve now lost, Paul Newman in 2008, and Elizabeth Taylor, just this week.       

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 1958

The birthplace of Tennessee Williams was moved to its current location at 300 Main Street in 1993 to prevent it from being torn down during a church expansion. An article in the New York Times recently highlighted the current renovation of the home carried out by the city of Columbus. The home is now the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center, sitting at the entrance to the city, and housing tourist information, a bookstore, and Tennessee Williams exhibitions.     

Upstairs room in the Williams home with movie memorabilia

 I am honored to sign my debut novel, Catfish Alley, in the Tennessee Williams Home on Saturday, April 9th, from 10:00 am to noon.  Please join me!    

Southern Living's Key Lime Pound Cake

Done in the typical Southern tradition with oodles of eggs, sugar, butter, and shortening, it was a masterpiece of pound cake heaven. Moist and delicate on the inside with a citrusy, buttery flavor and that little bit of crispness from the golden crust that formed on the outside, and topped off with a tangy key lime glaze—all of her effort from squeezing those tiny little green orbs into juicy submission was well worth it.

For some people pound cakes bring to mind matronly Southern aunts in soft flowered dresses serving company on fine china, with the best family silver, and tatted lace tablecloths on gleaming mahogany tables in high ceilinged dining rooms filled with silk draperies, antique sideboards, and hardwood floors. For others, images of their country grandmother’s work roughened hands pulling a perfectly browned cake out of her old oven come to mind—a pound cake that was made with buttermilk and fresh butter churned with her own hands.

Either way, cooking a traditional Southern pound cake will most certainly be a satisfying experience. Just make sure you’re willing to blow your diet!

The Amzi Love Home, Built 1848, Columbus, MS

Often, when I’m describing my novel, Catfish Alley, to a prospective reader who asks me what the story is about, I start with this question: “Are you familiar with the pilgrimages in the South?” Here in Colorado, I often get a puzzled look–a slow shaking of the head, and a “No… not really.” I then go on to explain that, in Mississippi, the pilgrimages are tours of the antebellum homes in the area. This statement begs the next question: “What is an antebellum home?” Antebellum means that the home was built before the Civil War.  

White Arches, Built around 1858, Columbus, MS

In Columbus and Natchez, many of those homes survived the ravages of the War and remained intact. Over the subsequent decades some fell into states of disrepair, becoming everything from boarding houses, to boarded-up places occupied by nesting birds and wandering cattle. The advent of the pilgrimage tours opened these historic homes to the eyes of the public, encouraging restoration and preservation of that particular piece of our nation’s history.  

Waverly Mansion, 1852, Columbus, MS

The Natchez pilgrimage was founded by a group of entrepreneurial women in 1932, and today consists of tours of twenty-five antebellum mansions, musical concerts, museums, and theater productions.  

The Columbus Pilgrimage, following the example of Natchez, was founded in 1940. A New York Times article, April 7, 1940, announced its debut:  

“Columbus is adding her name this year to the growing list of Mississippi towns that stage Spring pilgrimages. She has been inspired, like many another Mississippi town, by the successful example of Natchez. …for the first time will be opened twenty-two homes built in the three lustrous decades just before the war between the States, when Columbus was the cultural center of Mississippi’s Black Prairie.”  

Both pilgrimage tours feature docents dressed in hoop-skirted dresses, typical of the pre-civil war era. The docents provide home tours that are replete with local history, myth, and color.  

One of the best experiences of the spring pilgrimage tours in Natchez and Columbus is the flowers. Azaleas, Lady Banks Roses, Dogwood, Japanese Magnolias, and Wisteria, just to name a few, are typically all in bloom. The air is balmy and sweet with the scents of the Mississippi spring—quite an experience for history buffs and gardeners alike.  

Azaleas, Downtown Columbus, MS

Lady Banks Roses spilling over a fence, Downtown Columbus, MS

The local pilgrimage for the fictional town of Clarksville, Mississippi, plays a role in Catfish Alley. Roxanne Reeves, one of the main characters, is a middle-aged woman on a mission to become a maven of local influence. Roxanne revels in her role as director of the pilgrimage tour. But, when Roxanne is called upon to use her skills and influence to create an African American tour, she is bewildered. In order to pull this task off, and maintain her hard-earned reputation, Roxanne agrees to be mentored by a local elderly black retired school teacher, Grace Clark, who possesses extensive knowledge of Clarksville’s African American history. An unlikely pair, Roxanne and Grace struggle to find common ground between two perspectives that couldn’t be more dissimilar.  

Catfish Alley is a contemporary tale that, through Grace’s stories,  transports Roxanne back to the 1920s and 30s, when Grace was coming of age. I’ve often wondered what it must have been like for the black population of a Jim Crow South in 1940 to watch as a tour of antebellum homes was developed–homes that represented a period of the not so distant past when Mississippi’s economy depended on the labor of more than 400,000 slaves.    

Ultimately, Catfish Alley is a story of how long-standing friendships can endure in the face of incredible obstacles, and how new friendships can unexpectedly open our eyes to see what we’ve seen every day in a whole new light.  

Catfish Alley by Lynne Bryant  

Available wherever books are sold and online, April 5, 2011  

Book Signings During the Mississippi Spring Pilgrimages:  

The stately magnolia grandiflora, or bull bay, is the state flower and state tree of Mississippi. In 1900, school children in Mississippi voted for the magnolia to be the state flower, and although that wasn’t made official until 1952, the tree was made official in 1938. Those wise Louisianians chose the magnolia as their state flower in 1900. The beautiful sweet-scented creamy white blossoms on those glossy leaved evergreen trees are an ever-present part of the Southern experience. I did not realize until I started researching magnolias just how many species there are of the tree, and how old it is. Fossilized magnolias date back millions of years! The trees can be huge—up to 90 feet tall. The one shown below stands proudly over Confederate graves in Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, Mississippi.    

Magnolia in December, Friendship Cemetery, Columbus, MS

 Almost thirty years ago, I graduated from Mississippi University for Women, or “the W,” as it is still called. One of the classic “W” experiences is the Magnolia Chain and its accompanying song: “Chain of Magnolias.” The underclassmen construct the chain of magnolia branches and blossoms, and the graduating seniors carry the chain in a symbolic ceremony representing their hopes for the future. The other tradition is that all of the girls rush to grab a magnolia blossom at the end of the ceremony. If a graduate doesn’t secure a blossom, she runs the risk of becoming an old maid. Hmm…    

My Magnolia Chain Experience, MUW, May, 1981

This tradition is still alive and well at the W. A press release from last May describes graduates still carrying the chain. The original flower used was the daisy, but around 1905, they began to use magnolias. Unfortunately, the only words that I can remember of the song are the first ones: “Chain of magnolias we carry today…”

Another find I made while researching magnolias is a book of poetry by Patricia Neely-Dorsey, titled Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia. Be sure to check her website for a copy of her poem “Southern Life.”    

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia by Patricia Neely-Dorsey

 Magnolia blossoms are known for their delicacy. There is even a myth that they can’t be touched. It is true apparently that a magnolia blossom will start to oxidize, or turn brown and wilt, as soon as it’s severed from the branch. This is why magnolias don’t make great cut flowers. I suppose Southern women are supposed to be as delicate as magnolias—probably why Robert Harling’s play, was named Steel Magnolias. In his experience of losing his sister, he discovered that although Southern women may appear delicate, they have constitutions of steel. And just like the magnolia blossom, we don’t do well when we’re separated from our roots.    

Of course I can’t think of magnolias without thinking of Steel Magnolias, the movie–one of my favorite movies of all time. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie:    

      

 Annelle: Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair.       

Truvy: Well, these thighs haven’t gone out of the house without lycra on them sice I was 14.
Clairee: You were brought up right.     

Shelby: Remember what Daddy always says – an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure!

Truvy: Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it is marchin’ across your face.      

Truvy: Sammy’s so confused he don’t know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt.       

Ouiser: I’m not crazy M’Lynn. I’ve just been in a bad mood for the last 40 years!  

Clairee: And I can also report that a mysterious car is parked in her driveway at least once a week…
Ouiser: There. My secrets out. I’m having an affair with a Mercedes Benz! 
  

Clairee: Well, you know what they say: if you don’t have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me!       

Clairee: (says to Ouiser) I love ya more than my luggage. 

"Out of the Soil" by Beulah Bettersworth, 1940

Reading the newspaper article was a learning experience for me because, first of all, I was introduced to a whole body of art of which I was unaware. As I have often observed in this blog, I’m amazed at how ignorant I’ve been of the rich history that surrounded me during my childhood. When I began to research these murals, I found out that they were painted by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts, which was created in 1934, and administered by the Treasury Department. Patricia Raynor has an excellent description of the project on the National Postal Museum website. The art was commissioned for public buildings, such as post offices, making it accessible to all. I was fascinated to find that there were 28 of these murals in Mississippi post offices (http://www.wpamurals.com/mississip.htm), and most of them are still intact. And better yet, I found a photographer named Jimmy Emerson on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/collections/72157601290950569/) who specializes in photographing them. Here are a few of his shots from other Mississippi post offices.  

"Life in the Mississippi Cottonbelt" in Hazelhurst, MS, by Auriel Bessemer, 1939

"Cotton Farm" in Eupora, MS, by Tom Savage, 1945

"Cotton Harvest" in Magnolia, MS, by John H. Fyfe, 1939

"Forest Loggers" in Forest, MS, by Julien Binford, 1941

 Several people in and around Columbus weighed in on the debate as to whether or not the mural could be considered racist, with interesting comments. Most of those responding concluded that the painting is not meant to depict superiority of whites, but simply what the artist saw as she toured the Mississippi of 1939.  As a Southern fiction writer, I use both historical and contemporary knowledge to weave together stories that are intended to pull the reader into the imagined world I’ve created. My challenge as a writer is to try to understand how our collective past affects our present.  I believe art and literature are meant to evoke conversation, challenge our assumptions, and sometimes simply help us appreciate the uniqueness of a culture. The original point of post office art was accessibility. What an opportunity for dialogue, right there in a place visited by all ages and races! No admission charge, just art woven into the fabric of everyday life; life which includes the adversity of the past and the triumph possible for the future.